Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

What does norm reference assessment indicate?

1. How a child’s performance compares to a set standard

2. How a child compares to other students in the same grade

3. How well a child understands their reading materials

4. How parents perceive their child’s learning progress

The correct answer is: How a child compares to other students in the same grade

Norm-referenced assessments are designed to compare an individual's performance to the performance of a normative group, which typically includes a representative sample of students from the same grade or age range. When a child's performance is evaluated against this group, it provides insight into how they rank relative to their peers. This type of assessment offers valuable information about where a student stands in relation to a broader population, helping educators identify areas of strength and areas that may need improvement. In contrast, assessments that focus on a set standard would measure performance against predetermined benchmarks, while assessments evaluating understanding would be looking at a student's ability to comprehend and engage with specific materials. Parent perceptions are more subjective and do not provide quantitative comparisons with peers, which is the core function of a norm-referenced assessment. Therefore, understanding that these assessments reveal comparative performance highlights their purpose in educational settings.